Harrogate is spa town in North Yorkshire from the fashionable Victorian era boasting an eclectic mix of independent shops brushing shoulders with well-known high street names along with an envious collection of bars, cafes & restaurants catering for all tastes.
My niece, Emma & I often travel together in the UK, we recently stayed for a few days in Harrogate over a weekend, as she is gluten intolerant, we are always looking for restaurants that can not only cater for her gluten free dietary needs but also offer dishes to really excite the taste buds.
We found the following options during our stay in Harrogate:
Vivado Bar & Restaurant
Location – Cheltenham Crescent
Cuisine – Italian
Meal – Dinner
The restaurant was modern with subtle blue & purple neon lighting at the bar end giving a funky look.
There was an extensive dedicated Gluten free Menu, Emma chose the following:
Main Course
Pollo Duchessa – Grilled Breast of chicken topped with asparagus, ham and mozzarella cheese served with a demi glaze sauce.
Side Dish – Sauté Potatoes
Dessert
Crème Brûlée
Both dishes were very well presented, the chicken was succulent complemented by the tasty sauce, the potatoes were crispy with no hint of grease.
The Brûlée was luxuriously creamy with a perfect caramelised topping.
Highly recommended.
Lucia Wine Bar & Grill
Location – Ripon Road
Cuisine – Italian
Meal – Dinner
The exterior with its charming lighting and floral displays were a clue to the interior, which was elegant, stylish and modern.
From the dedicated Gluten Free Menu offering a wide range of dishes the following choices were made:
Starter
Pan Fried King Prawns – in a chilli, garlic & lemon butter. Served with gluten free bread.
Main
Beef Fillet Skewer – flame grilled with onion & peppers, skin-on chips, roasted tomatoes, rocket & parmesan.
Dessert
Chocolate Fondant Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream
This was our favourite restaurant we visited – highly recommended!
Cosy Club
Location – Cambridge Street
Cuisine – British with a Twist
Meal – Lunch
We found a warm atmosphere in this uniquely styled restaurant with a hint of a Gentleman’s Club. Relaxed informal with groups of all ages.
Along with starters & mains the menu offered small plates, so we opted to make a grazing table from the latter to share:
Crispy Duck Salad with cherry hoisin, pomegranate, rainbow salad, sesame and Szechuan pepper.
Harissa torn lamb shoulder with spiced cauliflower purée, tzatziki, pomegranate, pickled slaw.
Garlic Prawns with paprika, butter, lemon sat on a toast square.
Garlic French Beans
Potato, Leek & Twineham Grange dauphinoise
The dishes were unique & simply delicious! Emma informed me that she thought the bread was home made and that it was the best she had ever tasted in a restaurant! In fact, we were so impressed by the choice we returned the following day for lunch…..it doesn’t come more highly recommended than that!
Côte
Location – Albert Street
Cuisine – French brasserie chain
Meal – Lunch
This is a go to restaurant chain for Emma & I as they have a branch in various towns & cities and have a varied GF menu, it’s always an enjoyable experience.
On this occasion we chose:
Main
The Sharing Rib Eye Steak Experience (cooked medium) with truffle mayonnaise, frites and 2 sides of your choice, we had glazed carrots & French beans.
Dessert:
Emma chose the Chocolate Mousse whilst I opted for the Crème Caramel which was also gluten free.
These are a small sample of the many cafes, bars & restaurants that cater for food intolerances, we are planning another trip to Harrogate in the spring when we’ll be exploring more venues – I’ll keep you posted on what we find!